Monday, 24 October 2011

Before I tell you where I've been though I must thank the lovely Vix for sending me a brilliant 1984 book by Don Aslett - "The Secret of How to Win Freedom From Clutter"

Brilliant cover illustration.

Back in my younger days I bought Don's book about how to do housework - read it from cover to cover and felt so inspired and virtuous that I reformed my slatternly ways forever ok reverted immediately to my normal housework hating self!

I have great hopes though that inspiration will be forthcoming and with the help of Don I will win my freedom from clutter. Well at least I will take heed of some of his wisdom and weed out the clutter I want to keep from that which truly is just useless "stuff".

Back to the weekend jaunt - we went to the village of Kirkholm near Stranraer and stayed here...

Obviously NOT taken this weekend in the howling gales and driving rain!

The weather was frightful - howling gales accompanied by bouncing rain, but we were all warm and cosy in this little cottage.

A real fire and original wood shutters made everything oh so cosy.

Friends from Dunoon travelled down to join us. They arrived much earlier than we did, so on our arrival we were greeted with a lovely log fire roaring merrily away in the hearth, with those lovely original wood shutters battened down against the night and a supper of steak and wedges accompanied by copious amounts of wine.

The reading room!

Just how brilliant is this bathroom? Not only a bookcase opposite the throne no less, but a quirky little fireplace too!

The amazing Logan Fishpond. The pond was created in 1788 from a blow hole to be used as a fish larder for Logan House. The present day aim is to showcase native species of fish and to educate the public in how to protect them. The fish are returned to the sea every two years to enable them to mature and breed. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative and we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

On Sunday we visited the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse.

Again very stormy, but oh so dramatic.

Now back home all safe and sound, but with lovely memories to keep me going through the continuing clutter declutter.

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Well following a week of Flylady - all be it at the most basic level, I've decluttered the hall and have actually carried upstairs AND put away the small mountain of "stuff" that was sat on the bottom (six - yep it had risen to the sixth step!) of the stairs to await repatriation.

The top of the box to the left of my PC has been cleared and has remained so, and I am keeping on top of the one bench that I decluttered in the kitchen.

Google Images

Baby steps indeed - but at least I'm heading in the right direction, it's getting better, not worse.

Of course one or two things are much more interesting and important do make progress slow.

I still try to find some time in each day to catch up on all your lovely blogs, even if I don't have time to comment or blog myself.

I'm not spending hours on Pinterest as some have been tempted to, but I'd be telling fibs if I said it hasn't accounted for a fair bit some of my time.

I must say though that I am finding it great for keeping tabs on those little snippets that you come across on t'interweb and want to remember and so it does save me the time I used to spend trawling through my history to find for example that recipe that I wanted to make.

About Me

I am 57 years young and live in Weardale one of the Durham Dales, and an area described as "Englands Last Wilderness". I have four now grown up "children", one son and three daughters. I am also the proud Nana of Felicity, otherwise known as Flic - aged 8 and more recently Catherine also known as Cat - born June 2015. I keep trying hard to lead a simpler more meaningful life but it sometimes feels an uphill struggle, however, I will get there! I love vintage home-wares and am forever on the lookout for new to me items to add to my home. I love to cook, enjoy a spot of jewellery making and like to try out various sewing projects and the odd bit of crochet.